Nigeria charges an Iranian and three others in arms shipment case

An Iranian and three Nigerians have been charged with arms trafficking in connection with last month’s seizure of a large illegal arms shipment.

The charged Iranian, Azim Adhajani, is a member of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps and was identified as a businessman from Tehran.

Along with the Nigerian nationals, he was charged with exporting the illegal shipment to Banjul, Gambia, which began with last month’s seizure of 13 containers full of heavy weapons.

Nigeria’s secret service found rocket launchers, grenades and other explosives which were camouflaged as building material. They were seized in the Nigerian port of Lagos after being unloaded from an Iranian ship.

According to officials, eight camouflaged trucks and various pieces of military equipment were found hidden in a vehicle, but details of the shipment or operation were not immediately disclosed.

“Items include pistols, hundreds of ammunition, bullet proof jackets, military boots and other related prohibited items,” a spokesman for the Nigerian navy said. “Similarly, 8 heavy duty trucks painted in military camouflage were also impounded.”